Welcome back to the latest edition of Quantious’ Tech Roundup, where you gain exclusive insights into the tech news you need to know to stay at the top of your game.

Today we’re sharing a recap on our Quantious company retreat in Arizona, Read AI’s email-based ‘digital twin’, Nano Banana 2, Burger King’s AI use, and Google Lab’s new music creation partner.

With our Tech Roundup, you can trust that you’re getting concise updates on just the news that matters most. Let’s get to it!

We’ve just returned from Camp Quantious 2026 in Scottsdale…

…and we’re bringing a whole lot more than tans back with us ☀️🌵

For one energizing week, our fully remote team traded Slack threads for sunshine to gather in person and architect our vision for the next 10 years. From focused strategy sessions to spontaneous late-night conversations, this wasn’t just a retreat — it was a reset. The kind that reminds you why you’re building in the first place.

Yes, we mapped bold ideas and pressure-tested big ambitions. Yes, we strengthened the bridges that make remote collaboration actually work. And yes… we absolutely cooked up something big — and not just the tacos. 🌮😉 (Endless gratitude to El Encanto Restaurants, AZ for keeping us very well fueled.)

At Camp Quantious, our founder & CEO Lisa Larson-Kelley reminded us what it truly means to lead with light. When bold vision meets heart, you don’t just build campaigns — you build people, partnerships, and possibilities. 💙

We came back clearer, closer, and even more committed to human-first leadership and tech-forward thinking. The next chapter is going to be a big one, and we can’t wait to share more from our time together! ⛺️🌵📸

Top Tech Highlights

Read AI launches an email-based ‘digital twin’ to help you with schedules and answers

Read AI just launched Ada, an email-based “digital twin” that manages your calendar, drafts replies, and pulls answers from your company’s knowledge base—all by simply emailing it. Powered by a contextual knowledge graph built from your meetings and connected tools, Ada aims to act like a trained teammate that gets smarter and more proactive over time.

Ready to CC your coworker?

Google launches Nano Banana 2 model with faster image generation

Google just rolled out Nano Banana 2 (aka Gemini 3.1 Flash Image), delivering faster image generation with sharper detail, richer textures, and improved character consistency—all now default across the Gemini app, Flow, and even Google Search. Blending Pro-level quality with speed, the model supports resolutions up to 4K and handles complex, multi-character scenes across 141 countries.

Go ahead, stress test it.

Burger King will use AI to check if employees say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’

Burger King is rolling out “Patty,” an AI chatbot built into employee headsets that helps with everything from meal prep questions to coaching staff on customer friendliness. Powered by OpenAI, the tool analyzes drive-thru language and tone while pulling data from across operations to act as a real-time assistant and performance guide.

Would you want an AI grading you?

ProducerAI: Your music creation partner, now in Google Labs

ProducerAI, a generative music platform powered by Google DeepMind models like Gemini and Lyria 3, is joining Google Labs to help artists create, refine, and reimagine songs with AI as a collaborator. Built with a passionate music community and backed by tools like shareable “Spaces” and SynthID watermarking, the platform blends creative control with cutting-edge tech for musicians at every level.

Ready to drop your first AI assisted track?

Before You Go All-In on AI-Assisted Coding…

AI is helping teams build software and tools faster than ever, but that doesn’t mean we’re building smarter. It’s important to understand what’s possible with AI, and what’s actually ready to scale.

In Lisa’s latest article for Fast Company’s Impact Council, you learn more about how platforms like Crash Override are designed to offer a real-time view into where a company’s AI use is introducing risk or value.

#SmartFastCurious

We’d love to hear from you! What would you like to see more of? What companies would you like to hear more about?

Join the conversation on Instagram and LinkedIn using #SmartFastCurious.

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Desert Sun, Digital Twins, and Drive-Thru AI ☀️